I vaguely remember Bubbles, and am quite familiar with Crazy Lady. I recently discovered that I know members of her immediate family.
I’ve been at a few away games in the last 20+ years, in which Crazy Lady came with family and friends, scoped the situation, and determined whether her act would work in the current location.
The best was a Utah State game, perhaps 15-18 years ago in Logan. There was a big enough Utah crowd at the game, all in the isolated visitor section, without many local fans at all, so that she felt she could get away with her act. She danced at a break in the game, and I’m sure had somehow enlisted the cooperation of the band - she was definitely a hit with the Ute fans, that night, and with the whole audience to a larger degree than you would think.
And yes, the people who make such decision, have wanted to get rid of her for years, in favor of the drum thing and countless other gimmicks that have long since failed.
Football game chants, cheers, songs, marching band, etc. should have something to do with tradition, and fan popularity/support, not be constantly in jeopardy of replacement by the latest marketing vendor, selected by the latest athletic director’s think tank, or videos from the uniform vendor, or NBA/NFL style audio, etc. etc. etc…
They’re not doing that sort of tradition replacement in Tuscaloosa, Ann Arbor, Columbus, South Bend, Austin, Norman, Lincoln, at the Colosseum, Gainesville, Auburn, College Station. Those places understand the value of tradition, and while they try other things, in small ways, they retain the traditions for the large part.
As an example, how many of the current decision makers do you think even know what the “U of U Expansion” is, much less how it was historically used as a lead in to the opening horn of a Utah Men’s Basketball game. I’ve been watching that tune performed, with precision, by the pep band at the beginning of basketball games for most of a lifetime, but it was recently replaced by the NBA style light, fire, and (monster truck) screaming “show”. Now, I think it’s relegated to the intro to the second half…
Somebody should go ask the band director what U of U Expansion is, and how it has been historically used…